BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

B V O V : 1 9 part in God's unfolding plan. The enemy loves to pressure you. He wants to challenge what you believe concerning healing, fi nances, marriage and God's will for your life. But the enemy can't stop the promise! That's why James says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing " (James 1:2-4). In other words, get excited when the devil tempts you, because if you're patient—if you don't quit— you'll step into your high calling. The grace of God will carry you through! Fighting Back Faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17), so to make sure you don't quit, you need to hear the Word regularly. When the enemy tells you something that opposes what God has said to you about your high calling, cast down that vain imagination (2 Corinthians 10:5). As Brother Kenneth Hagin used to say, "You can't do anything about the birds that fl y over your head, but that doesn't mean you have to let them build a nest in your hair." If you have a thought that's contrary to what God has spoken to you, cast it away. Don't let it fester. Conform your thoughts to the Word of God. Only speak what the Holy Ghost has spoken to you. Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Manage your thought life by consistently hearing and speaking the Word. Then your faith will remain strong. How We Bring About Change You need strong faith and a no-quit attitude because change is coming. Our country and our churches need it, and you and I are a big part of it. As a pastor, I know each church is a piece of God's plan to unify America. A big part of our high calling is to unify people with di erent backgrounds, perspectives, giftings and talents. We're to bring them together to release a corporate anointing that will change this earth! Knowing that, here's how our church started putting these principles into practice. First, we received a vision from the Lord. He said, Take steps as a church to be as racially diverse as you can possibly be. So, we started moving in that direction. Many churches say they're diverse, but really their diversity is a small percentage of their congregation. The fact is, we're most comfortable with people who look like us, talk like us, and have the same life experiences. But that's not God's best for us. The Body of Christ should be as culturally diverse as the earth's population. So, knowing diversity was our vision, we started setting marks. One inter- mediate mark was to invite people who might not have otherwise heard about our church to join us. Instead of putting door hangers on the houses in the white suburban neighborhood around our church, we ventured into areas that were di erent than where we lived. We pressed on with maximum sustainable e ort and today, on any given Sunday morning, the diversity of our congregation is wonderfully apparent. Then, we set another mark. We started a Spanish-speaking service so people who didn't speak English could still feel like they're a part of our body. Next, we started cultural sensitivity training, a fancy term for sitting down and investing time with people of di erent cultures to learn how they live and view life. We get together—whites, blacks, Asians, Latinos—all of us, and we talk regularly. It's continual dialogue, and we've begun to see signifi cant change. We've had to invest a lot, but it's the fulfi llment of the vision God gave us. Because of our obedience, I believe that corporate anointing will come and destroy a yoke in America that will set us free! It's Your Turn What is the change God has laid on your heart? What's your high calling? What part do you have in God's vision for His Body? Take time today to pray about it. Write down the vision God gives you. Set your marks. Then press on with maximum sustainable e ort—no matter what resistance you face. If you're consistent, you'll enter into your high calling. And we need that…because as we obey Him together, our whole world will change! Get Get Get your digital your digital your digital your digital your digital your digital magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine.kcm.org

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